After breaking his back and neck in a cycling accident in 2017, former Royal Marine Ian Breeze thought his life was over.
But two years on he is preparing to take on our Pedal to Paris challenge, cycling 285 miles from London to Paris.
Ian had served with the Royal Marines for 27 years, including three tours of Afghanistan, when he was seriously injured in an accident whilst out cycling that left him in a medically induced coma.
Battle Back Centre
“It would be easy to let something like this get you down in the dumps but Battle Back put that in perspective for me,” says Ian.
“It made me realise you can’t sit at home feeling sorry for yourself, you only live once and you’ve got to get out there and do things.
“For me the highlight was sharing the experience with other veterans and talking to them about what they had been through and how they were overcoming their injuries and difficulties as well as sharing my experience.
“Some of the coaches have been through difficulties themselves and looking at how far they’d come made me realise that I could get back to normal myself.”
As part of his recovery Ian set himself a challenge of signing up for Pedal to Paris, joining a team of fellow veterans and service personnel who have attended Battle Back Centre.
I just have to keep going
“What I’m looking forward to about the ride is meeting other people who’ve been through their own difficulties and who are also passionate about cycling.
“I’m looking forward to testing myself, it will help me to see what I’ve achieved and prove to myself what I’m capable of.”
